Here we are again, another Sunday, another chapter. No nookie in this one though. Mention of previous nookie but other than that y'all are safe :P
Thank you to the few people who are taking the time to review this, cyber love for all of you for making me all warm and gooey!
Also, if you haven't done so already, I'd recommend checking out my fic 'El Tango de Nubina' if only because a signed review means a $2 donation to Sanctuary4Kids :P (more details on my profile)
xx
"He had her pinned against the wall and they were full on making out," Kate recited with fever for Will, who stared at her disbelieving.
"I had hoped they'd be able to contain themselves," Helen muttered from her place by the window, causing her team to spin around and look at her in shock.
"You knew this would happen?" Kate asked incredulously.
"My reputation precedes me," Nikola said, sauntering into the room without bothering to knock, looking impeccable in a fresh suit.
"I hope the damage you two caused was not too severe this time," Helen asked, not turning to face him. At the tone of her voice, something in Nikola deflated and that pit of anxiety in his stomach opened up again.
"We may have shattered your team's innocence, but everything of value remains intact," he responded coolly, sitting down and glaring at each of the now flustered children.
They were silent for a moment, Nikola and Helen caught up in their inner turmoil, Will, Henry and Kate resisting the urge to ask all the questions that were springing to mind. Just in the nick of time, there was a discreet knock at the door.
"Come in," Helen called, finally turning around.
Slowly. Rosie pushed open the door, peaking around with a rather timid smile.
"Sorry I'm late," she said, coming further into the room, "It seems half the clothes I had here have disappeared." With a smile, she sat down on the sofa, carefully tucked into the opposite end to Nikola and everyone was glad to see she had changed out of the ruined white dress and into a pair of tailored pants and a simple button down top.
"I am sorry for my previous behaviour," she said, looking at Kate with a smile, "I promise you it was quite out of character."
"Nonsense," Helen said with a teasing smile as she sat down in the chair opposite her old friend. Taking that as their cue, Henry, Kate and Will all took a seat, Kate being the only one brave enough to sit in the large gap between Nikola and Rosie. There was a beat of silence before Kate opened her mouth.
"How do you do that mind reading thing?" she blurted out. Nikola rolled his eyes and opened his mouth for some witty retort but Rosie beat him to it.
"I'm not entirely sure," she answered with a smile, "I can't always control it unless I'm focused on doing so."
"My offer still stands," Helen said, seemingly out of the blue.
"And my objections too," Rosie answered with a soft smile.
"Dude, you've got to stop doing that, it's way too confusing," Henry said, shaking his head.
"Helen has offered many times to run tests to see how I do what I do but I have declined previously and I will do so again tonight," she answered, her voice clear and crisp with a cadence that could only be picked up in previous centuries.
"Why?" Will asked, puzzled, he was yet to meet an abnormal who didn't want to know how their powers work.
"Rule number one is never write anything down," Rosie responded with a smile. "Once something is on paper, it can become the property of nearly anyone. And that is something I'd like to avoid at all costs."
"But I mean, how does it work? Can you read anyone's mind? Do they have to be close by? Do you hear like one voice at a time or everyone all at once?" Kate asked, still confused. Rosie laughed, as did Helen.
"Distance simply requires a bit more concentration and it's more that if I focus on someone, I can pick up the tenor of their mind and follow it. My abilities are more centred around manipulating psychic energies. I can send and receive the energies, but none of it is an exact science."
"So, you can read minds?" Kate clarified.
Rosie laughed, "Well, part of your mind is feeling guilty because you're fairly certain you stole my clothes, Will is wondering if he needs to tell… Abby, is it? About the fact that I kissed him, something for which I cannot apologise enough, Henry is still feeling embarrassed about what happened in the elevator, Nikola…" she paused before smirking at whatever she had heard," and Helen is… Oh. I'm sorry, love," she finished, her voice filled with concern.
Everyone turned to look at Helen who smiled lightly at Rosie.
"What do you mean send?" Will asked, breaking the tension. There was a brief pause before he let out a gasp, eyes widening.
"What? What was it?" Kate asked, looking worried.
"I answered his question," she responded with a grin before doing the same for Kate.
Only a little more quietly. Understand?
"I can hear you," Will said, eyes wide with wonder.
"And while it is a very useful trait, I can't help but think you are showing off," Nikola said, finally speaking up. Rosie narrowed her eyes at him and there was a brief pause before he let out a soft gasp followed by some uncomfortable squirming in his seat.
"Really," Helen interjected, breaking Rosie's concentration. Rosie turned to look at her old friend for a moment before sighing and relinquishing whatever hold she had over Nikola.
"What was that?" Kate asked.
"Memories," Rosie answered dismissively but she was unable to keep the smirk off her face. There was an uncomfortable pause as everyone contemplated what she meant, Nikola's alleviating any doubts.
Rosie said nothing and neatly folded her hands in her lap. Will watched her for a second, noting her posture and the way she spoke before leaning forwards to speak to her.
"How did you and Magnus meet?" he asked, shying away from asking her directly how old she was.
"I met Helen shortly after she…" Rosie paused, sending a dark look in Helen's direction, "injected herself with that poisonous blood."
"She knocked on the front door and when we answered, there she was, an evangelical bitch hell bent on destroying us," Nikola supplied with a grin.
"It wasn't quite that bad," Rosie said, throwing him a glare. "I was… a little upset but 'evangelical bitch' is rather inflammatory. Plus I didn't knock on your door."
"I'd have to agree, Nikola," Helen said sternly. Rosie threw her a grateful smile before continuing.
"But once that little misunderstanding was all cleared up, the six of us got on like a house on fire," Rosie concluded. "And I was so sorry to hear about James," she added, looking at Helen sadly.
"He is missed," Helen said by way of response. The two women sat looking at each other for a moment before Will opened his mouth again.
"What do you mean by 'misunderstanding'?"
Helen and Rose shared a bemused glance. "You were wondering before about my age Will and, while I'm not entirely sure, I'd guess I was born maybe fifty years before the fall of Rome. I only know for a fact that I was the last of my race that was... I suppose created is the right word."
"But that means you're... what, 1600 years old!" Will exclaimed, spluttering. Rose smiled tightly at him and made a face.
"Sort of," she said with a pained look. "It's ah... complicated."
"How can you sort of be 1600 years old?" Kate asked sceptically.
Rose shrugged noncommittally. "I had a bit of a nap."
Will and Kate shared sceptical looks but, before they could speak again, Rose held up a hand.
"Another time perhaps," she insisted with a small smile before continuing with her story. "My race was born to protect the balance between the humans and Sanguine Vampiris," she continued, clearing her throat in an attempt to subvert attention from her rather impressive age. "I mean, my memory is rather sketchy in parts but I do remember the fall of the vampires quite clearly and I know I was at still very young at the time," she said, just a little pride infecting her voice.
"And what a fantastic job you did at maintaining the balance," Nikola muttered, picking some invisible lint off his suit.
"It was a difficult decision, one that I don't think you would have made any differently," Rose said stoically, an old pain etched across her face.
"So you're… well, really old," Kate interjected after a moment, obviously still stuck on the issue.
Rosie chuckled, "If you all think Helen is old, I would be bordering on, what? My third reincarnation," she laughed. "Have no fear, Helen, you don't look a day over 200," she added with a mischievous grin.
"Why you…" Helen said, incredulous as she picked up a throw pillow and lobbed it at Rosie.
"And you told me not to wreck anything," she muttered, throwing the cushion back.
"But you look to be what, 20, 21?" Will guessed, intrigued.
"I suppose I would have been maybe 25 when the transformation took place," she said, making a face. "From what I understand of it, almost everyone has an ability within them to become what I am, with certain variations but there is a kick start required to initiate the process. My genetic makeup barely differs from any of yours. The trait, it seems is dying out but it is in my DNA and I'd guess in at least one of you," she finished, sweeping her eyes around the group, eyes landing on Helen as she quirked her head, brows knitting together as she contemplated something although, considering the look of befuddlement on Helen's face, it seemed she wasn't in on it.
"But that still doesn't explain how you met Magnus," Will continued.
"It's easier if I show you," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Will and Kate shared a worried glance and Rosie chuckled softly, rolling her eyes. "It's like a memory. It won't hurt or anything, I promise. Just close your eyes."
When nobody complied, Rosie let out a heavy sigh.
"Please?" she asked softly, her eyes growing wide and dewy as she smiled softly at everyone. Succumbing to the best puppy dog eyes in the history of guilt trips, everyone except Helen and Nikola closed their eyes. Shooting them both an angry glare, Rosie closed her eyes and exhaled.
Your hand is raised. You're torn. Should you knock as these pesky humans believed to be polite or simply destroy the door? You can't decide and spend a few seconds weighing up the pros and cons of both options. Eventually you decide to take the path that is less likely to get you shot. Not that it could actually kill you but these new fangled projectile weapons did sting like nothing else.
You knock three times, loud and clear. Then you wait. It seems to take an eternity for the door to open and you're beginning to regret giving up your element of surprise and bowing to their pointless rules. You shuffle uncomfortable in the dress you wear. It's large and cumbersome but you're fairly sure the outer layers will come away without much hassle when it comes time to rip these vampires limb from delicious limb.
You're starting to wonder if 1, they heard you or 2, they've got some kind of detection system in place that means they know who you are and what is about to befall them. They are vampires, you wouldn't put it past them. But then the door swings open, an old maid looking at you questioningly. Perhaps you should have worn the over coat, you wonder. Standing in the snow in a simple dress maybe wasn't the best way to keep a low profile but as the scents of the house overcome you, you no longer care. Your entire body is shaking with rage for these people, they must die and you will do everything in your power to make it as painful as possible. You raise your eyes to the elderly woman in the doorway and she falls to the ground, asleep in an instant.
You step over her body and shut the door behind you. The room is warm but this recognition is secondary, the smell of the blood is even stronger now you're in the house. They are going to die. They are going to die. They are going to die. They are going to die. They are going to die.